Door latch



Patented Jan. 1, 1924.

UNITED STATES ROSCOE BERYL EVANS, 0F DERMOTT, ARKANSAS.

DOOR LATCH.

Application filed September 18, 1922. Serial No. 588,865.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Rosoon B. Evans, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dermott, in the county of Chicot and State of Arkansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Door Latches; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertainsto make and use the same, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to door latches and has for an object to providea latch especially, though not exclusively, for light doors, such forinstance as screen doors, and to provide improved means for latching,unlatching and locking.

A further object of the invention is to provide a latch which fromeither the inside or the outside presents means movable in the directionof the movement of the door, such movement being initially against thetension of the spring which is placed under compression and whichimparts to the door the initial kick when the latch re leases, makingthe opening of the door more instantaneous and certain.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means forlockin the latch from the inside of the door wlthout the use of a key orother removable member.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises certainnovel parts, elements, units, combinations, constructions andarrangements as disclosed in the drawings, together with mechanicalequivalents thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully described andclaimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the improved latch seen from theinside mounted upon a screen door of conventional type;

Figure 2 is a view of the latch principally in side elevation, a partbeing broken away and showing the door frame in vertical section;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view in front elevation of the arm showing its positionboth as a right and left-hand latch.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views.

The improved latch which forms the subject matter of this application isadapted to be associated with doors and door casings of various typesand the showing of a door at 10 associated with the door casin at 11 isintended only as illustrative an in no Way limiting upon the utility ofthe device. The latch comprises a plate 12 secured to the door 10 with aperforation 13 re istering with an opening 14 formed in t e door. Theplate is provided with upstanding ears 15 between which is fulcrumed thelatch member 16 having a hook 17 and an arm 18.

Extending through the registering perforations 13 and 14 is a wire rodor cable 19 pivoted to the latch 16 in any approved manner, as by theeye 20 and havin upon the exterior of the door a knob 21. t will benoted, especially from Figure 2, that the wire 19 connects with thelatch 16 above its pivot, so that a pull upon the knob 21 to theposition shown in dotted lines serves to raise the latch also to itsdotted lines, as shown in that figure, swinging the arm 18 back adjacentto the door frame.

To co-operate with the latch a strike plate 22 is employed having anabutment 23 rigidly secured thereto and positioned to inter-engage withthe hook 17, such abutment being preferably triangular in transversesection, as shown at Figure 2, although it is obvious that thetriangular shape is not essential to its operation and the structure isnot necessarily limited to that formation.

Spaced awa from the rigid abutment 23 is a movable a utment 24 mountedto rotate upon an axis substantially parallel with the abutment 23. Suchrotation may be provided in any usual or well known mechanical manner,here shown as by means ofa rivet 25 (see Fig. 3), which. permits therotation of this abutment 24: manually.

Preferably this abutment 24 will be triangular in cross section and whenin the position shown in full lines at Figure 2 will permit the raisingof the latch 16 but when rotated to the position shown in dotted lineswill revent the raising of the latch 16 sufiiciently to release the book17 from engagement with the abutment 24.

In operation the device will be mounted upon the door and door casing,as indicated at Figure 1, and while there shown as a is to move.

Wire 19, pulling upon thelatch 16 and com- :being exactly the same, I

26 under compression resultlng 1n the initial 'kick, as above described.When it is de pressing the spring 26. As soon as the hook 17 dis-engagesfrom the abutment-23, the tendency of the spring is to expand and,

therefore, give to the door the desired initial kick, initiating theopening of the door promptly. When it is desired to open the door fromthe inside, push will be exerted upon the arm 18 also in the directioniwhich it is desired to move the door, the result placin the springsired to lock the door, the abutment 24: is merely turned upon its axis,represented by the rivet 25, until the point is in engagement with oradjacent to the latch 16 which.

prevents the latch being lifted a sufiicient distance to release it fromthe abutment 23. The door is, therefore, securely locked until theabutment 24: is again turned.

What li claim is:

1. A door latch comprising a tulcrumed latch member having a hook and anupstanding arm, a strike plate, a spring adapted to force the latch tolatching position, a knob upon the side of the door opposite the hookand connected therewith, adapted when ulled to raise the latch, anabutment carried by the strike plate positioned to be images engaged bythehook and a second abutment spaced from the first abutment andpositioned to limit the opening movement of the latch and to be turnedto lock the latch.

2. A door latch comprising a fulcrumed hooked. member upon the innerside of the door, a strike plate having a rigid abutment positioned forinter-engagement with the hook of the latch, a spring positioned toyieldingly force the latch into engagement with the abutment, an armcarried by the latch adapted when compressed to raise the latch againstthe tension of the spring, a knob upon the exterior of the door, meansconnecting the knob with the latch adapted When drawn to raise the latchagainst the tension of the spring, and an abutment spaced from the firstabutment a suiiicient distance to permit the raising of the hooked latchmember a limited distance and adapted to be turned to reduce theinterval for locking the latch.

3. A door latch comprising a fulcrumed latch bar, a strike plateprovided with spaced triangular abutments, one of said abutments beingrigid and positioned to inter-engage with the latch bar, and the otheradapted to be manually rotated to vary the interval between theproximate portions of the abutments, the greater interval permitting theunlatching of the latch but limiting its movement, the lesser intervalpreventing such unlatching, and manual means. for applying unlatchingstress to the latching member.

lin testimony whereof li hereunto afiix my signature.

'ROSGUE BJERYL Evans.

